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Beautifully restored Tuscan farmhouse - large pool & terrace, fantastic views
| Sleeps | 12 |
| Bedrooms | 5 |
| Bathrooms | 2 |
| Space | 1,937 sq. ft. |
| Property type | farmhouse |
| Minimum Stay | 3 - 7 nights |
Overview
Covivoli : 4-5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, big pool, amazing views, wifi, close to amenities & beautiful towns
This 100 year old farmhouse has been restored to a very high standard, with many original features, such as terracotta tile floors and wooden beamed ceilings, plus modern bathrooms and kitchen. Outside there is a shady pergola and a large sun terrace, leading directly to a 12x6 metre (c.40x20 feet) swimming pool. Set in 2 acres of olive, fig and cherry trees, Covivoli has magnificent, uninterrupted views across the Tuscan hills.
Covivoli is in eastern Tuscany near the border with Umbria. Close to the beautiful, historic towns of Caprese Michelangelo (Michelangelo's birthplace), Anghiari and Sansepolcro, it makes a perfect country retreat from which to explore. Choose from site-seeing in Arezzo, Cortona, Perugia, Sienna, Assissi or Florence, a trip to one of the local markets or a night out any of the numerous superb local restaurants, or simply relax on the terrace, soaking up the views, the sun and a bottle of the local vintage.
Covivoli has 3 double bedrooms, 1 twin bedroom and a second living room with a good quality sofabed, sleeping 10 adults comfortably. There are 2 travelling cots for babies plus a spare single mattress, so Covivoli can accommodate a maximum of 12-13 people/children/babies.
About Gareth Edmunds
Kate and Gareth live in Bristol with their two young children, Mathilda and George. Kate is a graphic designer and illustrator, and has her own successful business selling children's colour-in products worldwide. Gareth is a marketing manager.
We bought Covivoli in July 2003, seduced as much by the location as the potential of the house itself. With Mathilda just a toddler and George only 3 months old, we moved to Italy in 2004 to spend more than six months overseeing the complete renovation of both farmhouse and grounds. In 2005 we returned to England (to friends and family, and work), but we spend as much time as we can in Tuscany, often with a big group of friends, enjoying relaxing holidays and exploring new places. Our favourite months are May and June.
Gareth Edmunds purchased this farmhouse in 2003
Why Gareth Edmunds chose Arezzo Area
We loved Covivoli from the moment we set eyes on it. Yes, the house was falling down, and everything was overgrown, but its location, set in olive groves with fantastic views across the valley, secluded yet close to amenities, made it ideal. We already knew Tuscany well, having enjoyed many holidays there, but we both agreed this was our favourite part. It has everything: lovely countryside, historic towns, great restaurants and friendly people, and although well known to Italians, it sees few foreign tourists, which somehow makes it feel even more authentic and special. Now, after all the hard work renovating the house, re-landscaping and building the pool and pergola, our enthusiasm for Covivoli, the area and its people, has not diminished. In fact, the more we go, the more we love it.
What makes this farmhouse unique
We've probably said enough already, but feel free to contact us if you want to know more. All we would like to add is a big, big thank you to Fernanda and Mario, who look after Covivoli for us. They are amazing. As the many amazing guest comments make clear, Covivoli would not be the same without our dear friends, Fernanda and Mario.
Guestbook comments from the owner
"Just wanted to say that we had a really great week. Having stayed in Covivoli before, we were a little worried that we might have imagined it was better than it was, but the house was just as perfect as we remembered it. It was lovely seeing Fernanda and Mario again. They really are fantastic at looking after you. They don't intrude but are so willing to do anything to make our stay better. Fernanda's cooking and cakes are a real treat."
"The house - really good accommodation at a reasonable price. We have stayed in numerous self catering villas, most of which we have booked through Owners Direct and this had been the nicest property we have ever stayed in. We love the simple, tasteful decor, furniture and bed linen. It easily accommodates eight people without feeling crowded and it is really well equipped with more than enough crockery, glasses, cooking utensils, etc. I don't think we have ever needed anything that wasn't there. The terrace outside is perfect for dining and we took full advantage of the herbs and figs from the garden. Table tennis proved a winner with our son."
"The pool - one of the nicest we have had as large enough for eight people to swim in, and a fantastic view."
"Restaurants - fantastic food at very reasonable prices. Buca is always a must for Sunday - we have been there 7 times over the last ten years and feel it just gets better every year."
"On behalf of my whole family I wanted to thank you for providing us with the opportunity to stay in your beautiful Tuscan home. While we were aware that the house, pool and garden would be no doubt special from the photos you had provided, we certainly weren’t prepared from what awaited us on arrival last Saturday. We all had such a lovely week, and Fernanda and Mario were so helpful, friendly and generous."
"We had a fantastic time at your lovely villa, we're all in agreement it was one of our best vacations ever! So thank you for that. A special thanks to Fernanda and Mario of course where you have truly found some marvellous people looking after your house and your guests."
"We are just back from Italy. We stayed a fortnight in your lovely house and we had a great time there. We enjoyed the fantastic views and loved the complete silence. Fernanda was so kind, her apple cake was great and her tiramisu just perfect. We definitely will recommend your house to our friends."
Amenities
Caprese Michelangelo Farmhouse Accommodation and Amenities
- farmhouse
- Catering available
- Lunch - Booking Possible
- Dinner - Booking Possible
- Housekeeper Included
- 1937 sq. ft.
- Check-in: 4:00 PM / Check-out: 10:00 AM
- Max. occupancy: 12
- children welcome ...
- Rural
- Village
- Away From It All
- Family
- Historic
- Romantic
- Tourist Attractions
- Air Conditioning ...
- Elevator ...
- Fireplace
- Hair Dryer
- Heating ...
- Internet ...
- Iron & Board
- Linens Provided ...
- Living Room ...
- Parking ...
- Telephone ...
- Towels Provided ...
- Tumble Dryer ...
- Washing Machine
- Coffee Maker ...
- Dishes & Utensils
- Dishwasher
- Freezer
- Kitchen ...
- Microwave
- Oven ...
- Pantry Items
- Refrigerator
- Stove ...
- Toaster
- Child's Highchair
- Dining ...
- Dining Room
- seating for 10 people
- 2 Bathrooms
-
Bathroom 2 -
toilet
,
combination tub/shower
,
bidet
Bathroom 1 - toilet , shower , bidet
- 5 Bedrooms, Sleeps 12
-
Bedroom 2 -
1 king
,
2 baby crib
Bedroom 1 - 1 king
Bedroom 3 - 1 queen
Bedroom 4 - 2 twin/ single
Bedroom 5 - 1 sleep sofa /futon , Double sofa bed in second living room next to double bedroom
- Books ...
- DVD Player ...
- Games ...
- Music Library ...
- Ping Pong Table
- Stereo ...
- Television
- Toys ...
- Video Library ...
- Deck / Patio ...
- Golf ...
- Lawn / Garden ...
- Outdoor Grill ...
- Tennis ...
- Private Pool ...
- Private Chef
- autumn foliage
- churches
- cinemas
- forests
- live theater
- museums
- playground
- recreation center
- restaurants
- ruins
- winery tours
- zoo
- bird watching
- horseback riding
- scenic drives
- sight seeing
- walking
- ATM/bank
- Babysitter
- fitness center
- groceries
- hospital
- massage therapist
- medical services
- cycling
- equestrian events
- freshwater fishing
- golf
- hiking
- hunting
- mountain biking
- mountain climbing
- swimming
- tennis
Reviews
Wonderful!
4.9/5 -
(17 traveler reviews)
great place!!!
Home is wonderfully located and very comfortable. The pool is great and views are outstanding Tuscany seems to be a paradise on earth (especially food, people and climate).
A beautiful, tranquil haven
The location is perfect, so peaceful yet close to lovely villages. The house is stunning and has everything you could need and is very much a home from home. Really can't fault it.
Rapture in Tuscany
We had a great stay in this wonderful villa. The scenery was breathtaking with mountains, olive trees, fig and cherry trees surrounding the property. I brought a book to read but it was difficult to concentrate with the breathtaking views. It was a convenient to drive to the town of Pieve St. Stefano for grocery shopping and other local stores and restaurants. Everyone in town was very friendly and helpful as our Italian was very limited. We had everything we needed in this beautiful home. Plenty of supplies, towels utensils, etc. The bedrooms were very spacious and beds were very comfortable. We had a beautiful and spacious veranda to eat breakfast on every morning and to enjoy in the evening. Not sure if you planned it this way, but the very first evening an absolutely huge moon appeared over the mountains. What a great start to our first evening! Gareth and Kate have a book of detailed information of restaurants and towns to visit and how long it takes to get to each one. I also loved the information on your home, with the details and pictures of the renovations you did on the house. We were even able to use the swimming pool a couple of days, which is unusual this early in the season (May). Cinzia, the housekeeper, was wonderful and helped us with anything we needed. On the day before we left she made us the best raviolis stuffed with ricotta and spinach with a bolognese sauce! We loved it! There is not one thing I could add to this wonderful vacation. Gareth and Kate, thank you for making this beautiful memory possible for us. We are hoping to come back soon and stay longer.
Amazing location
We had a wonderful week at Covivoli Such a beautiful villa in a wonderful area of Tuscany Villa had everything we needed and it felt so peaceful We would certainly stay again and would recommend others to visit
A quiet, relaxing spot with amazing views!
There were 9 of us staying at Covivoli and the house provided plenty of room and space. The kids spent hours in the pool and exploring, while us Adults relaxed by the pool or had a lazy lunch outside.
If you are into cycling there were some great cycle routes and climbs nearby and we hired some bikes not to far away - only cost 100 Euros for the week which I thought was very good.
Most days we would venture out to a nearby town and check out the markets so there was lots to do. We loved the chapel where St Francis received the Stigmata (Chiusi della Verna) and also enjoyed Sansepolcro.
In short it was a great week at a special spot in Tuscany.
An amazing villa, beautifully restored, spacious, comfortable, clean and well stocked
An amazing villa, beautifully restored, spacious, comfortable, very clean and well stocked with a great pool overlooking a wonderful valley . Its actually more gorgeous than the photos suggest!
The villa is out of the way and Covivoli was not on our sat nav so we would recommend following Gareth's written instructions very carefully, buying a detailed map and getting there in day light. That said its well located with some wonderful historic towns 30 minutes drive from the villa
Fernanda was lovely.
All in all we could not recommend this beautiful villa more highly
Map
Special interest holidays:
Great location for walking, horse-riding and cycling holidays. Cooking and pasta making courses are available from our housekeeper, Fernanda. (She is an experienced cook, and will often shop and cook dinner for you - arrange with her on arrival.) There are many many fantastic restaurants nearby. (Our house guide has more details, and Fernanda is happy to book for you.)
Travel: Use of a car is pretty much essential, although there is public transport (trains to Arezzo, buses to Anghiari and Caprese). Suitable airports include: Perugia - 1 hour; Rimini, Ancona & Bologna - all around 2 hours; Pisa & Rome - 2½ hours; and Venice - 3½ hours.
Distances:
Caprese Michelangelo 3km. Pieve 10km. Anghiari 15km. Sansepolcro 20km. Perugia 90km. Siena 100km. Assisi 100km. Rimini 110km. Florence 120km.
Coast/Beach: West and East coasts reached in under two hours, Lake Trasimeno in an hour. (But remember, Covivoli has a big private swimming pool.)
Further Details:
Caprese Michelangelo has a small supermarket, pharmacy, doctor’s surgery, post office, bars, pizzeria, police station, bank and some fantastic restaurants. Pieve has a decent supermarket and Sansepolcro has a much wider selection of supermarkets and good shops and restaurants. In fact, there are many very good local restaurants within 10-15 minutes drive from the house. Several local markets can be found in local towns, our favourite being Anghiari on Wednesday mornings, but there are bigger ones further afield. Look out too for the various music, food and artisan festivals, farmers markets and antiques fairs that take place throughout the year in many of the local towns.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us.
Photos
Rates & Availability
- Available
- Unavailable
Additional information about rental rates
| Fees | No additional mandatory fees |
| Damage Deposit | $322.33 |
PLEASE NOTE: Due to high demand, we are only able to take bookings SATURDAY to SATURDAY during peak periods. (Autumn/Winter and Winter/Spring breaks of 3 or more days are possible.)
Arrival after 4pm, departure by 10am, unless arranged beforehand.
Prices include electricity, gas and water, weekly maid and pool service, bed linen, bath and pool towels, and a welcome pack (wine, coffee & tea, bread & butter, fruit, etc).
Special prices available for lets longer than 2 weeks and for last-minute bookings.. Please contact us for details.
Owner's Cancellation Policy
- Canceled bookings will not receive a refund
Request to Book